Society

'Stay-at-home week' starts in Tokyo

Apr 26 (NHK) - In a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus, authorities around Japan are pleading for residents to refrain from going out ahead of one of the country's biggest holiday periods. In Tokyo, the metropolitan government has dubbed the 12-day period through May 6, "stay-at-home week."

Shinkansen bullet trains are usually crowded ahead of the spring holiday. But some trains that left Tokyo on Saturday had no passengers in the non-reserved cars. Officials from Japan Railway say the occupancy rate for non-reserved seats on the Tokaido Shinkansen line was below 10 percent as of Saturday afternoon.

The Togoshi Ginza shopping district in Tokyo was crowded with shoppers last weekend. But on Saturday, the streets were mostly deserted. The shopping district association has asked stores to shut down voluntarily on weekends and holidays in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. Shop owners will receive payouts from the Tokyo government for lost business.

Yamamura Toshio, the head of Togoshi Ginza Shopping District Cooperative Association says, "It is hard for us to ask customers not to visit, but we would like to cooperate with the measure to call on people to stay at home."

Typhoon No. 24 Poses Heavy Rain Threat to Okinawa

Typhoon No. 24 is currently located over the southern seas and is expected to track westward toward Vietnam later this week, with no direct impact anticipated on Japan. As of now, the storm’s central pressure is 1000 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds reaching 20 meters per second. Satellite imagery shows a significant cloud mass developing in the southern region, indicating intensified activity around the system.

Japanese Streaming Services Struggle Against Netflix

Japan’s streaming industry is under growing pressure as foreign giants tighten their grip on the domestic market, with Netflix’s latest move to secure exclusive broadcast rights in Japan for every game of the World Baseball Classic next March highlighting the widening gap.

Japan Tightens Rules on Foreign Business Visas

Investigators from the Immigration Services Agency conducted on-site inspections in Osaka on October 14th amid a surge in so-called 'paper companies' created by foreign nationals seeking residency.

Sumo Fever Returns to London After 34 Years

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Architect’s 20-Year Dream Nears Completion

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